Erica Miller - The Saratogian: NYRA announced their give-aways Monday morning, June 23rd 2014, at the Fasig-Tipton for NYRA's summer announcements. This year the Saratoga Race Course will be opening their doors July 18th.

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> The number of giveways people can redeem at once at Saratoga Race Course will be limited for the first time this season to three at a time – and, also new, giveaway day attendance will be more accurately reported.

The New York Racing Association announced Tuesday that it will limit the number of giveaway vouchers that can be bought at one time, and will allow people to redeem only three vouchers at a time. It will also stop counting extra giveaway voucher sales as part of its daily attendance.

“We’re aware that past attendance numbers may have been inflated on giveaway days due to the practice of incorporating each multiple voucher sold on track as part of our paid admission,” NYRA CEO Lynn LaRocca said in a press release. “These inflated numbers adversely skewed the far more important business metric of on-track per capita spending.”

The new system will also make it more difficult for people to leave with armloads of giveaways.

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“Giveaway days are part of a long tradition at Saratoga Race Course, and these modifications will ensure that more of our guests can leave with one of these prized mementos,” she said.

The giveways, all on Sundays, begin with a baseball cap sponsored by Saratoga Casino & Raceway on July 20, followed by a set of pilsner glasses on July 27, a Saratoga Toyota tote bag on Aug. 10, and a short-sleeve T-shirt on Aug. 31. The racing season begins this Friday, July 18, and continues daily, except Tuesdays, through Labor Day.

As in the past, all Saratoga Race Course guests visiting on giveaway days will receive one voucher with paid admission upon entry. This voucher can be redeemed for a giveaway, while supplies last. People with season passes will receive a voucher as well.

Guests seeking to purchase additional vouchers will be permitted to buy them two at a time by using the multiple admissions line beneath the grandstand, near the Saratoga Styles boutique. Previously, guests could purchase up to five vouchers at a time.

Guests can then redeem up to three vouchers at a time at Saratoga Race Course’s giveaway redemption areas that day on the track grounds at one of two spots, near the Big Red Spring and the Top of the Stretch. This number includes the original voucher guests automatically receive with their paid admission. There was no limit to the number of vouchers which could be redeemed at a time in prior years.

Over the years, people who used to go through the admission gate multiple times to be able to redeem extra giveaways were called “spinners.” Since an admission was paid for each voucher, the track would report all the paid admissions as attendance, regardless of how many were attributed to spinners. However, even after the system was changed so that people bought additional vouchers once they were inside the track, vouchers were still counted as paid admission.

“The New York Racing Association is committed to transparency and will be discontinuing this policy starting on Opening Day,” LaRocca said.